1940

This past month was an active one as far as receiving news from our classmates is concerned. Several of the letters recounted quite vividly some of the more recent engagements which we in the States have only read about in the papers. I only wish there were more room in this column, so that these letters could be quoted in their entirety.

A recent letter from Sgt. Bob Austin finds him in an hospital in Africa recovering from a leg injury received in action with his anti-aircraft unit. I quote: "I was at Sheitla when Rommel and his boys came through and I was in the Kasserine Pass when the order came through, "Fight or Die," and no retreat—the Germans must not get to Tehessa. And boy, they tried damn hard! We were in Maknassy as the German M.E.'s and Stukas whined away overhead and the German artillery whistled around us. We held, and finally the Eighth Army blasted the Mareth Line and started their mad race up the coast."

Jack Little in the Army writes: "A mere four months ago I was sitting in your living room with a beer in my hand trying to baby to smile, and talking over the various classmates we had run into lately. Although I'm one of the few classmates who didn't join the Navy, I've seen a good deal of water so far—even had to do some wading to get on this island (Sicily) on that tracer-studded morning back in July. I've often wondered if any of the men I knew at Hanover were in some of those other landing barges and whether they were scared and excited when that first shell burst pretty close by."

Paul Goodwin is now a captain in the Marines after seeing action in the Pacific region. He'is back again in the Pacific and writes: "Right at the moment I am standing by anxiously waiting for the whistle to blow. It's this waiting that drives a man nuts." Jack Willson is with the American Field Service and is now somewhere in India, having been transferred there from Syria about June 1. Eb Cockley is in training with a mule outfit at Camp Hale, Colo. Gordon Wentworth has recently been made a captain and is still stationed at the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil. Ted Boorum has written two poems which were published and appear in the August issue of the magazine Poetry.

Capt. Johnny Peacock of the Marines was married to Sylvia Griffith last June. Mrs. Peacock is the great-great-granddaughter of old Eleazar Wheelock. Johnny writes: "D. J. McMahon is expecting to become a father again any day now. Scotty Treeman is also on the expecting list soon. He has been on foreign duty with the Air Corps for over two years now. He was married while he was down in the West Indies. Maj. Donald B. (Ty) Cobb of the Marines is still with the Parachute troops in the South Pacific. Lt. Lee Blades USNR is well into his second year in the South Pacific, which is a long time considering some of the forsaken islands that he has been on. As you probably know, I was wounded out on Guadalcanal last November and I just got out of the hospital last month. I am back here in Quantico on limited duty, now teaching officers in the ROC.

The Purple Heart medal was awarded

posthumously to Lt. B. D. Parker who, asformerly reported, was killed in action in the Pacific on June 15. Capt. J. Robert Stout of the USAAF was called the "hero of the day" over news broadcasts covering the battle of Salerno. "Jay" was first assigned to base-bombing centers, then saw action over Sicily, and now is spending his time over the Italian mainland. Capt. Stout was cited by the News Broadcasters after a raid in which he demolished a large German field piece and killed a force of some thirty Nazis. Lt. Richard Kenny of the Naval Air Force sunk a Japanese destroyer on July 17 and has been recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross. When pulling out of the dive, after his bombs had found their mark, Dick's plane ran into a gevser of water produced by a bomb that had missed its mark, which nearly destroyed his plane. Ray Dau, whois fresh out of New Guinea, is sporting the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, and other chest coloring.

Dick Bowman is a lieutenant in the Navy and writes: "Jim Murphy came down from Westover Field, where he's been flying anti-sub patrols, and we went to town to see what was there—My-My. Don Tenny is a major in the USMC and came back from New Guinea with Ray Dau. R. T. Mitchell is a sergeant in Tenn. with the USAAF. Saw Bob Gensel who is by way of being an Aviation Cadet—the baby and Didi are fine. J. Willets is an ensign working in Milwaukee."

Ted Lewitt is a Sergeant in the Army, somewhere in Africa. Lee Brekke is on a sub-chaser operating off the African coast. Allan Rosenthal is a lieutenant (jg) in the Navy, stationed in Africa. V. C. Bloede is now a lieutenant (jg) in the Navy stationed at Pearl Harbor. Pete Gibson is a lieutenant in the Army, stationed in Nashville, Tenn. Les Nichols is a lieutenant and working in Hollywood on a tank-attack picture as military adviser. Ralph Palmer is a lieutenant working with an outfit that determines the origin of enemy gunfire by the sound and flash of the gun. Sid Phillips by now has his wings and is a flyer for the Navy. Stetson Whitcher is a sergeant with the Army Ordnance overseas. Don Cobb has recently been made a major in the Marine Corps. Dan Toan is an ensign in the Coast Guard. Joe Sudarsky has been commissioned a second lieutenant in the Infantry at Ft. Benning, Ga. Charles W. Miller and Bob Hale are both stationed at Mather Field, Calif., and both were just promoted to captains in the USAAF.

MARRIAGES AND ENGAGEMENTS:

Miss June P. Laramy and Ist Lt. Johnny O'Shea -were married last June. Lt. Elmer Browne and Miss Joyce Thompson announced their engagement last July. Dick Hawkes is a sergeant at Camp Edwards and announced his engagement to Miss Jean Huckins. Miss Mary Stewart Campbell and Ens. PaulWessells were married last July. Miss Marcia Clark, of Wellesley Hills, and Lt. Bob Kelly were married last June. Miss Dorothy Greenspan of Brooklyn, N. Y., and Dick Seidman became Mr. and Mrs. also last June. Miss Virginia Newman and Lt. L. Kelvin Doyle were married during July. Miss Mary Elizabeth Whiteman, of Greenwich, Conn., and Lt. Bill Maxson USNR announced their engagement during August. Sgt. Raymond S. Kantor and Miss Hanna Kenneth Alpert were married July 27 in Camp Crowder, Mo. Miss Mary Louise Conners and Hugh Schwarz announced their engagement this past August. Hugh received his Masters degree at M.I.T. and is now with the National Research Corp., of Boston. Miss Dorothy Elizabeth Calnan and Art Ostrander were married in Pittsfield, Mass., last August. Miss Elizabeth Hillman Hollister of Washington, D. C., and Lt. Buford Hayden USNR were married in August in Washington, D. C., and are now living in Alameda, Calif. Miss Betsy Rogers Stoddards and Lt. David Leake USA announced their engagement during September. Miss Faith Kirkbridge and Lt. (jg) Bob Dibble also announced their engagement this September. Miss Marian Honan and Lt. Jim Espy USNR announced their engagement September 12. Hal Wonson and Miss Ethel Hamilton announced their engagement last month and plan to be married the day before Thanksgiving. Dr. Margaret Shippen Storrs and Dr. Arthur French were married in September. Both are interning at the Philadelphia General Hospital. Don Schott and Miss Madelyn Ann Halligan announced their engagement September 10.

LT. JAMES A. WEAVER '40 has his new silver wings adjusted by Kaarn Jayne, aged one, as Mrs. Weaver smiles approval.

Acting Secretary-Treasurer, c/o E. Gilmore 81-14 34th Ave., Jackson Hts., L. 1., N. Y.